Thursday, August 14, 2008

Pear and Walnut Cake

Pears are certainly one of the more plentiful fruits of winter and for Australians, it is hard to go past the old classic, Packham Pear

Packham Pears were developed here in Australia by Charles Packham in 1896. They are the result of crossing Williams with Bell Pears to produce a largish, bumpy, green-skinned pear. As they ripen the skin will yellow slightly while the flesh remains a pleasant white. They are a lovely pear to eat - juicy and sweet.

For this cake, I've cut the pears in large pieces - I just think it makes the final product a little more interesting especially when you take a bite and are rewarded with that sweet juicy hit of pear. To contrast with a bit of crunch, walnuts provide a perfect foil.

i made this today as i have a glut of both pears and walnuts; slowly making my way through last years bumper harvest, and threw in the last few choc chips i had lying around. It was delicious. I served it up for afternoon tea and my friend commented how delicious it was, same friend who commented on the last cake of yours i baked. The pears are a great mouthful with the cake.

Thanks for this recipe. I found your blog last week and made this cake over the weekend: it was a great antidote to a crummy cold Sunday. And it is super tasty when warmed up and served with thick cream. 5 stars!

I have only recently discovered your site and this is the 2nd cake recipe I've made from it. Both were resounding successes but this one was so good I just had to let you know. It looked spectacular out of the oven and tasted even better.

That said I have to admit I didn't follow the recipe exactly: I added a teaspoon of cinnamon and a good dollop of yoghurt. The batter was surprisingly dry so I then added enough milk tobring it to a good consistency. It was so moist with a lovely taste of cinnamon that didn't overpower the pear. Will definitely make it again while pears are still season then will try it with apples instead.

Thanks Rachel, happy to know you've enjoyed the cakes - the amount of liquid needed can vary due to the variable nature of flour, some are more absorbent than others so it is best to do as you have done and add enough liquid so it reaches the right consistency.